Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Autumn Statement 2016: Everything you need to know and what it means for your money

CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond is giving his first Autumn Statement, where he is expected to lay out plans to help families who are just about managing - so-called JAMs.

By LANA CLEMENTS (Daily Express)
PUBLISHED: 09:41, Wed, Nov 23, 2016 | UPDATED: 13:07, Wed, Nov 23, 2016

What does the Autumn Statement 2016 mean for you?

Mr Hammond promised to "build an economy that works for everyone" and support struggling households.

Help for JAMs

It has already been announced that more money is to go towards the Universal Credit programme, the national living wage is to be raised and tenant letting agent fees will be axed.

It has been confirmed the Autumn Statement will be used to ban pensions cold calling, to help protect millions of vulnerable people from being tricked out of their life savings.

On top of these measures, it's rumoured that fuel duty may be frozen and air passenger duty could be scrapped to help holidaying families.

The Chancellor has earmarked £23billion for a new National Productivity Investment Fund to be spent on innovation and infrastructure ito raise Britain's productivity and boost the economy amid Britain's vote to leave the European Union (EU).

UK infrastructure will be at the heart of investment, as the government ploughs money into upgrading the country's transport and communication networks.

British roads will be improved with a fund of around £1.3bn, while another £1bn will be spent on providing more ‘full-fibre’ broadband across the UK, as well as investment in 5G trials.

Housing

The Government is to create a new £2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund to deliver infrastructure for up to 100,000 new homes in high demand areas.

There will also be £1.4billion invested in affordable housing, helping to build 40,000 new homes.

Economy forecasts

The British economy is now forecast to grow by 2.1 per cent this year, UP from a previous forecast of 2 per cent in March - before the vote to leave the European Union (EU).

Growth in 2017 is predicted at 1.4 per cent, from previous estimates of 2.2 per cent; it's expected to reach 1.7 per cent in 2018, 2.1 per cent in 2019, and 2020 then 2 per cent in 2021.

The Chancellor today confirmed he would abandon predecessor George Osborne's unrealistic goal to get Britain's budget into a surplus by 2019/20.

He also announced three new three fiscal rules.

*Britain's budget should be returned to a surplus as early as possible, in the next government

*Public sector debt as a percentage of GDP must be falling by the end of this parliament

*Welfare spending must stay within a cap set by the Government

More to follow..

elastic bands fred, elastic bands

From post 74992 EL said ''Furthermore, we all of us have to get on with each other in this world.''
Absolutely correct but how often do you get a reply after saying ''Good morning'' to a Muslim, it is clear that many do not wish to integrate.
2517

Duplicated again.

most of the time george
and on a similar tack, women drivers almost never thank or acknowledge, at least not around here ...... almost exclusively white of course!

statement . very good 10 out of 10 , far better than Osborne ever did

ken Clarke , take a look at why he wants to stay in the eu its all about is bank balance and family its nothing to do with the benefit of the country

the man is a very dishonest piece of work . is only interested in is own pocket with is contacts with the eu

2517,

Generally in response to good morning etc. I get a response, but I will relate my experiences of about 10 days ago.

I had a problem with my laptop which needed taking apart and applying a little solder.

Done by an Egyptian with a smile, who said no charge.

A little later I went to a park nearby for a cycle ride.

A Romanian with a smile was watching a rugby match and spoke to me and asked a few question and thanked me for the information and we shook hands and parted.

During my ride, I fell off my bike trying to avoid a small child was helped up by an Asian (Muslim) who checked that my bike over and me to see that both were still in working order.

While I was being checked a West Indian lady came over smiled and said I shouldn't ride home and would I like her to call a taxi.

I refrained from the offer.

Later that day I met another man while shopping and noticing his accent asked him where he was from.

Latvian was the reply with a smile and that he had arrived in 1946 similar to many Poles and others etc... (Including my outlaws), times of day were exchanged and good wishes exchanged. Very pleasant, we both left smiling.

Wandering around France, Spain, Portugal and Italy for five years or more, I had similar and generally helpful interchanges and very helpful when I had problems.

The thing which I did notice, was there was always more time to chat when in the country and villages than in the towns or cities.

But, the response you get from others, is more often than not due to the way that you others.

You must think we are basically thick Freda , fairy stories are your domain without a doubt .

more time to chat when in the country .... that is absolutely so; you could also have added "willingness"

V - are you the wicked witch then? ....... fairy tales are rarely meant to be the sweet little stories as trotted out to our children, but have a far grimmer undertone

Alsorts ignore you all breeds and whatever , you can smile at people and they think there's something wrong with you , such poppycock from our resident dreamer .

Vicky,

Not true. My wife was laughing at my day.

Even more amusing was that my daughter who had just stopped playing tennis, saw me fall without really recognising me had come to help and remained to tell me off.

She followed me, without me knowing until I eventually got on my bike back to my car.

Also, due to that, I had telephone calls from the rest of the family to check and tell me off again at the same time laughing at my day.

(I fell off, avoiding a small child who had run in front of me. Didn't harm a hair of her and I am grateful that I was only doing about 2miles an hour when the incident happened. Top speed nowadays.)

You sure you're not Charlie Drake .

Vicky,

Recalling the events are a humorous relief to listening to the failures of Theresa May and the failed tory policies and their lame excuses for the lunacies which will probably occur due to Brexit.

It is another name for madness.

You can get treatment for such conditions.

Yes obsession with the same subject is worrying also a little respite and straight back in with same old same old .

all parties' policies always fail to a greater or lesser extent ..... it's inevitable, and there will always be a variety of curmudgeons who will blame any gov't or anyone other than themselves for anything, whether it's tripping over an uneven paving stone or perhaps that they fell off their bike

Poor old Fred thinks his day is like a United colours of Beniton advert .

Fred we all encounter foreigners every day ,what do you think we all do ? swear at them and tell them to go away , you paint yourself as this god like character and everyone else as Satan , your a very deluded old fool.

Beware tossing empty baked bean tins around. And juggling them is an absolute 'No No!"

Apparently. Anyhow, t'lady next door told me. She says it's against the law, or soon will be, because you could cut yourself on the sharp tin edges.

So there!

Mind you, she can't stand cats and dogs so what does she know?

Anyway I've not been keeping up to date with some things , where are we with leaving , with all this court goings on is it poss it can be derailed . seems it's accepted in peoples minds but what can go wrong for us leavers . I live in hope it will happen but don't trust in some .